Equalizing device for ball-bearings.



F. W. GURNBY.

EQUALIZING DEVICE FOR BALL BEARINGS.

APPT. I U A T I 0 N P I L P I A U G 2 3 9 0 9.

993,594. Q I I I Patented May 30,1911.

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[Z I" I I //I 14/9 l I 1 I APPLIOATXGN FILED AUG. 2, i909 Patented May 30; 1911;

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Ma sala. Letters 2mm. PatentedMay 30, 1911.

a plication ma mm a; 1909. Serial no. 510,722.

To 'all whom it may concern:

Be it known" that I, FREDERICK W. NEY, a citizen of the United States, res1dmg at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented new and useful'lmprovements in Equalizln Devices for Ball-Bearings, of which the 0 lowpanying drawings, is a complete, clear, and exact description. I

The object of the lnventlon is to secure a simple and efi'ective means for distributing or ualizing the load over a series of unit ing for sustaining ball arings. Such a series of annular ball bearings hasnot hitherto been successfully mounted on a shaft or journal within ahousi eat loads for two reasons; first, the bearings may not be readily made with such accuracy of size and fit that each bearing of the series will receive an'equal load, for the bearing that 1s sl1ght1y the largest'or has the snuggest fit w1ll carry the most of the load; second, under very heavy loads the shaft will sprlng so -that evenperfect' bearings will bear unequal portions of the total load. The resent inventionequalizes the load in elther of these cases. The individual bearings of the serles may vary in size or in fit, or the shaft may be deflected by excessive load and the load will stillbe equal upon the several units.

The improvements consist in providing .a'

series of saddle pieces, one to 'eachunit, and a corresponding series of wedge pieces, which fit between-the saddle pieces, within the housing or casing. These saddle pieces and wed e pieces are free to slide on each other an must so move under any inequality of pressure thereby overcoming-that inequality, which isthe end des1red. This action s the same in effect as that of a fluid cushion. i

In the drawin view at line X Y ualizer in. position within 'the casln Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a singlesadd a piece, as. provided for each unit bearing. Fi 3 is a perspective view of one of the pieces which bearsbetween the saddle pieces. Fig. 4 isa sectional'vi'ew of a series of unit bearings at line Y Y in Fig.1. 'Fi 5 is a perspective view of a series of s'add e Figure 1 is a sectional -pieces and wedge pieces'assclnbledl' Fig 6;

-1s asectional- View ofa unitball bearing.

-2 'Similar numerals refer to corresponding,

parts inL.the several views.

in Fig. 4, showing thewedging series.

pieces.

The numeral 10 indicates the shaft or journal which is here shown with a shoulder 11, which serves to hold one end of the series of unit bearings 12, and a nut 13 holds the other end of the series. A casing orbox 14 is provided having an opening 15 in the rear side for the shaft 10, and a cap 16 which is attached by means of suitable screw bolts 17. The lower portion of the casing 16 is made round to receive therein the unit ball bearings 12, as shown in Fig. 1, and the upper portion is made square to receive the equalizing device.

The equalizing device consists of the sad- Idle pieces 18, which are formed with a curve 19 on their under side 'to fit the ball bearing and a wedge shaped upper side 20 bevele sidewise in both dlIGClJlOIlS. from about the middle of the saddle piece. The wedge pieces 21 have an inversely V-shape beveled under side 22, and a-flat upper side 23 which fits Within the flat inner slde of the casing 14. The under side 22 is beveled to correspond to the bevel 20 of the upper side of the saddle pieces, so that the wedge piece 21' fits between 'two of the saddle pieces.

The-saddle pieces 18 are narrower in width than the ball bearings, so as to allow a oer tain amount of play between the saddle pieces, as shown at 24 in Figs. 4 and 5, and a corresponding space 25' 1s provided between the wedge pieces 21, which clearance permits of a sidewise movement of the sad dle 'and' wedge pieces when assembled. These, several pieces thus produce inter- When a multiple ball bearing, madeu of a series of unit ball bearings, is assemhled on a journal, the equalizer is assembled b placing the saddle pieces 18, one upon each of,.the unit bearings, and a wedge piece 21 is provided between each 'of the saddle In order to hold the outer saddle pieceslB, an idle half wedge piece '26 is provided at each side of the beari-iig, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each of which idle ieces may'be a separate piece or may be made in: tegral upon the cap 16 and hbusin 14, it only being'necessary that the beveled lower side-shall correspond. to the bevels of the "wedge pieces 21, and when made as a'separate ie'ce as it is referably, it is apparent that its ofiice is on y an idle block or wed e to hold the parts in, lace and fitv square y into the eornei" oft e casing. After the equalizer ls'in place, the casing 14:,may be slipped over the same and the cap 15 attached thus assembling the entire multiple bearing with its equalizer on the journal.

The action of the device is as follows: If one of the bearings is a little large, the out side is higher than the other bearings. Its saddle piece 18, with its beveled faces accordingly projects correspondingly higher between the wedge pieces 21, and thereby forces the Wedge pieces a little farther apart.

In forcing these wedge pieces apart, they crowd onto the beveled faces of the saddle pieces 18 on the bearings on either side, and by their wedging action force them down onto their respective bearings, thus transmitting tothe smaller bearings the load that would otherwise come in excess upon the larger bearing. It is obvious that by this ,of unequal pressure but will slide on each other until an equilibriumof pressure is realized, at which point an exact equalization of-the load upon'the several units'will be efi'ected.

I claim as new: 1. A -load distributing device for a series of annular or unit ball bearings consisting of two series of interacting,

interwedging members, a box or casing for said members,

one of said series of interwedging members in contact with the bearings and the other series of interwedging members in contact against the box or casing.

2. A load distributing device for a series of unit ball bearings consisting of two series of interslidingwedge shaped members, a confining means for one of said series, one of said series formed to fit said units one to each unit, and the other series of wedge shaped members in contact with said confining means.

3. A load distributing device for a series of unit ball bearings consisting of two series of intersliding wedge shaped members, a confining means for said series one of said series formed as saddle pieces for said unit bearings one to each unit, and the other series of members in contact with said confining means, said wedge-shaped members assembled with a suitable clearance therebetween to allow a sidewise movement for each member.

4. A load distributing device for a series of unit ball bearings consisting of a series of saddle pieces one to each unit, said saddle pieces Wedge shaped on their outer edges, and a second seriesof wedge pieces operatively placed between said saddle pieces to receive the load.

Tn testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK W. GURNEY.

Witnesses N. PETERSON, A. L. FURLoW. 

